Queen Lamia (Double's Origins)
by Voxus Lumith
Summary: A woman of the church in a place called Meridian wed a man who would eventually become the first king of the Canopy Kingdom. Soon over, the Gigans began their invasion, led by a woman from the desert, who only seeks destruction and blood. The Queen must protect her daughters at all cost... Even if that means risking her life to do it. May the Trinity Protect Her.
1. Chapter 1

Around the table, the family gathered. The two daughters of parents who ruled a kingdom, one wearing a crooked set of glasses and her dark hair tied back in a tail, and the other with her small hood up to hide her eyes from everyone, allowing her light pink hair to cover her face and eyes as well. The parents, a king of a vast land, readying forces to defend themselves from a coming onslaught of monsters that they had once asked to be neighbors with, and the queen, a woman by the name of Lamia, who was once a lone helper of a church of the area, called Meridian. The land they inhabit, The Canopy Kingdom, was a new nation in the continent, and had rose to power quite quickly, obtaining new technologies from the other lands and many citizens in the process of its forming. Now, a once welcomed neighbor race, the Gigans, seek to oppose them, and demolish their nation in any way possible. Skirmishes in the past, as well as many vicious attacks by them had led to the Canopy Kingdom to use their technology against their once loyal and respected neighbors.

The king said Grace to the Trinity once they all gathered around the table for the potential last dinner he would have with them. The girls poked and prodded at one another across the table as the mother kept her head bowed as her husband continued the prayer. She was a minister of the church, a woman who looked after the grounds, who helped those in need, and wanted nothing more than to see the good in all people. The king had come to her one day after a service, and simply asked for her hand in marriage. She could not turn him down. He had come to services in her church for nearly a year, never missing anything she said, and always wanted to help her, to be beside her, and make her smile and laugh. She felt safe with him, she felt happy, and she knew that there was something great about this man. Their marriage took hold fast, and the Canopy Kingdom was established not long after the first child was born. She had raised her girls as best she could in the fledgling days of her being queen, but being queen comes with stipulations on the job of 'mother.' Venus, the older of the two by merely a year, had grown to the age of ten, and was quite rambunctious and outgoing, always looking into things and being somewhat destructive, while the smaller of the two, Aeon, was inquisitive as well, but rather reserved, always watching, rather than doing. The two were inseparable, and the mother looked to them with as much joy in her heart as she could muster.

"Amen," The king says as he opens his eyes to see the two girls with their head bowed and hands together.

"Amen," They all repeat, as the eyes of all but one of them open and began to serve themselves. The girls devoured the food quickly as usually, and skirted off to play to run all of their energy out. The servants of the castle rushed in to clear the table and refill any glasses as the queen and king sat in still silence, thinking to themselves what they would do without the other if this truly was their last dinner together.

"Mia, I…" The king began, but fell short as his mind faltered on his words. He looked away to the table, took a sip of wine, and then went back to the goddess of a wife before him. She was as radiant as when he met her ten years ago. Long blond hair that seemed ever so slightly wave like, and her slender body displaying gorgeous curves that signified her as a voluptuous young woman, and a mother; her skin, the color of sand with the texture of silk, and her eyes, an entrancing light red whose mere sight felt hot, entrancing, and all together loving. She is his joy, his muse, and his strength in the world.

"Mia, I cannot say the words I wish. I simply wish to tell you, repeatedly, that above all else, I love you."

The words fell well into her, and she reciprocated with a smile and a nod. "I love you to, my king. I want nothing more than the see you smile every day for as long as I live."

"You do know what tomorrow brings, do you not?" He replied, trying not to sound too harsh.

"I have prayed the day would never come, but now that I see that it has, I pray even harder that the Watcher will keep her eyes on you and protect you, and that the Destroyer looms within our soldiers to strengthen them and defeat our foes, and I ask the Mother, the Giver and Deliverer, to protect you with all the love that I give you every day." She gave her piece with the resolve she showed when they were talking of marriage so long ago. She still held her beliefs in the highest regard, and she had all the confidence in the world that the Trinity was as real as she was. Many of the others in Meridian and the Canopy Kingdom did not think too highly of the religion, but it was still worshiped by many.

The king looked to her with eyes filled with sadness, "Lamia, I do not know if I will return. That is it. There is nothing that I can do to prevent me from possibly… passing."

"You could simply not go with your troops. That would solve it."

"And let my generals take the entire onslaught without someone to look to for guidance or to instill courage? I've been on the front lines before and—" he was cut short by a protest.

"And you are the king of the Canopy Kingdom now. You are not a soldier. At most, you are a Commander, a commander of forces. You would do well to sit and command with messengers, rather than atop a mount on the front lines." His wife protested quickly.

"I cannot do that Lamia. This place, this castle, I cannot sit here while my people get slaughtered. I believe what I am bringing to the field, along with myself, could sway the upcoming battles in our favor."

"How do you suppose? You are but one man. The man that I love, but one man."

"And I love you. The Gigans are brutes; large and vicious brutes. However, they do not have technology on their side, nor any general or commander to instruct them."

"Are you certain? Have you consulted your messengers?"

"They have seen a woman of our stature with them, but she has not been in any form of power in their ranks. She seems nothing more than a merchant from a far land to the south."

"The southern deserts? What could she be planning?"

"It matters not. She has simply given them small items of need and has not given them anything substantial that they cannot find for themselves. The Gigans arm themselves with clubs and rocks, while we arm ourselves with guns, armor, and swords. If we can overpower them, they do not stand a chance."

"You sound very full of yourself my king. What makes you so sure you have the upper hand in this fight and should display yourself on the front lines for your enemies to see?"

"Our kingdom has made something that can defeat any being, and can unleash tremendous power upon our enemies. It is a device that functions much like a heart, taking over the body in a way that unleashes its potential, and increases it by untold amounts. The creation freezes the blood in place, keeping the user alive with its own infinite power source, and continues to be active until switched off. We call it, the Heart of Power."

Lamia looked to her husband with a small glare. She had appreciated technology for its advancements to society, and how it had helped Venus be able to see the world around her, but using technology to develop tools of war, she could not stand. The king before her had changed, and while she still loved him, she felt hollow, and distant from the man she once knew.

"Ah. I see. However, you have a flaw in your design," She says, holding a finger up to him, "How does one operate your device? By simply being close or holding it?"

"We have put in a small way of unlocking it, and attaching it to the body. To unlock it, you must provide a 'pure' wish for it to grant. It sounds idiotic, but it requires you to think a bit. The heart will understand a pure wish as something that you have no gain from and that you wholly wish to come true. It is strange and quite…awkward, but the easiest and best wish we have come up with so far is simply, 'I want to protect…'" He says, trailing off.

"Protect what?" His wife takes the bait.

"That is just it. Without the rest of the phrase to go on, it simply sees you as someone who wants to protect what it thinks; the meek, the poor, the downtrodden, protecting somebody that will give you nothing in return; its fool proof!"

The queen did not buy into this, but felt like her husband had taken precautions for once for this, and trusted him as much as she could. "I understand dear, but… why are you telling me this?"

"I… I just…" He was at a loss for words. The thought of war, conflict, and battle had raged within him during the explanation, and he had lost his thoughts for the conversation entirely. "I… I simply wanted to tell you to not worry. I will be safe. Our nation, our daughters, you and I, we will all be safe."

The queen stood and moved to her husband, kissing his forehead. "It does not mean I still will not pray for your safety. I believe you my king. Let us head to bed. We need to gather the girls as well and take them to bed." She says with a large smile. Her smile had always been a ray of hope for the king, something he could always use to guide himself or use for strength. Now however, he felt a cloud of doubt sink into him. She believed in him, yes, but he did not feel he believed the words he said. He had put on a display to keep her from worrying, and he had shrouded himself in that same belief. The device he spoke of was extremely experimental. Only one of five tests had come back positive and ended with the subject experiencing horrible things in his mind. The king wanted none of it. But, it was what his researchers had created to combat the Gigans, so he had to trust their judgment. At a loss for words or anything to retort, he stood with her, hand in hand, and walked to their children's playroom, to take the groggy girls to their beds and allow them to pass the night by sweetly as the two parents left for their own rooms.

The king lay awake in bed as his wife slept comfortably, having peace in her mind. He lay there looking at the canopy of his bed, draped in glorious soft fabrics that shielded his eyes from the bright moonlight in his windows. He could not understand how his wife was so sure of his victory. _Was it the Trinity she believes in so much that keeps her so calm?_ He thought to himself as he looked around the room, listening to the sounds of streetwalkers outside. He felt scared and alone in his own body, thinking about that thing his team had created. They nicknamed it " **The Skullheart** " for its design that made it look so menacing, and the blue aura it radiated. His researchers said that it was an ancient device used in the past for conquest and they had made modifications on it but still… The thoughts lingered in him. Soon, he would become something he may not be able to control, and it scared him.

The day broke quickly, and the king was up before his wife, at nearly five in the morning. The sun had begun shining before it reached the rise in the hills, and the king had wanted to get ahead of himself in the day to ensure he was fully prepared. An early breakfast downstairs, and suiting himself up for the supposed coming battle, and began his waiting. His wife woke up soon after him, and woke the girls up as well to see him off. Two hugs and two small kisses to the cheek were given to him, along with a long and tight hug from his wife, with a gently kiss upon his lips which he remembered for the entire day. His wife and daughters waved goodbye to him as he set off from the castle to the barracks of his army, and then, into the field of battle.


	2. Chapter 2

Out across the city she the sun set amidst the buildings of Meridian. The wife of the king, looking to the hills where her husband would approach to come home from the monstrous battle with the Gigans, saw no one atop the hill. Grass wavering in the wind was all she could truly make out. She sat on the balcony of the castle, amidst two servants and one of her only friends, the leader of the Grand Cathedral in Meridian; Sister Anna. The Sister reminded Queen Lamia of herself in ways. She felt as if she looked into a mirror when she saw her. Another who felt the same in her faith, as well as displaying the same features as her; it all made her feel as if she could confide in someone her truest feelings about the situations at hand. Her blond hair was a bit darker than Lamia's, but it was also a bit longer and fuller, nearly surrounding the Sister if left unmanaged. Her eyes were bright red, and her complexion was like a sandy porcelain doll. Her hands were delicate and smooth to the touch, and the Sister's smile, radiate and beautiful, made Lamia happier every time she saw it.

News travelled fast in the kingdom, and word had spread to the church as well. "I've heard that His Majesty is on the battlefront. Is that wise?" Sister Anna asks as she gazes on the horizon with her friend and queen.

"I voiced the same concern Sister, but nothing gets through to that man once his mind is set. He said that the Technology division had come up with something new to fight against the Gigans, but I felt as if even he was unsure of its usefulness and power." She said as she peered on the horizon, hoping to see the glimmer of armor atop a steed.

"Sounds not at all promising, if I may be blunt my queen. I do hope he returns safely." She replies with a soft bow. "May the Trinity protect him, and our troops."

"May they protect," She echoed. Something lingered in her mind about the contraption dug up by the Technology division that did not sit well with the Queen. Something felt off about the item that her husband described. It sounded evil to say the least. It sounded like something that could destroy a person, soul and all. A demon would not even want to use it. Soon, the sun set from view with no advance of any troops, nor any sight of her husband and king.

"Tomorrow we shall do the same my Queen. They will return. The Trinity will protect them." Sister Anna said with confidence as she stood, gave a bow, and began her exit.

"Sister. May I ask a favor?" The queen said before she left.

"Anything my queen. Name it and it shall be done."

"Keep a watch on the citizens in the church. I can watch many, but I cannot watch everyone to insure safety."

"Understood my queen. I hope that you rest well tonight. May the Trinity Protect." She ended with a bow, and bid her farewell. The time came for the queen to leave the balcony as well and settle in with her girls. The night drew long, and throughout it, she had dreams of the battlefield.

* * *

The march to the battlefield was a strange one, but one that took almost an entire day to finish. Night fell as the army of the Canopy Kingdom made their way to the Gigan's Territory. The king had not been atop a mount riding into battle since his entrance into the unfamiliar land of the Canopy Kingdom. He was a soldier then, but now a king, he felt quite out of place. The Skullheart in tow in a carrier of its own; radiated its pale blue light as if signaling of their approach to any and all before them. Topping a hill they could see the entrance into the land of Gigans. The line was not definite, but they could see the different in the lands. Overgrown grasses which came up to a man's waist and trees looking to be uncut and growing for centuries line the land of the Gigan's territory. Upon arriving, the king got down from his mount, and gathered his generals.

"We will begin marching into the territory as soon as the soldiers take a small breather. We'll advance in groups of twenty, three groups per line, and make out way through the territory that way. We will not be caught off guard," He said, making the formation in the small patch of dirt around them, lighting it with a small lantern.

"Yes sir. We will give them the order sir." Said the generals as they scattered to their men.

The king moved to the Skullheart, staring at it a moment, before feeling something pull at him. Not his armor or his hair or anything such as that. It pulled at something inside him. He felt the heart search him, and then, it spoke to him.

 _"_ _A king are you?"_ It said to him, or from what it sounded like, spoke to him in his mind. _"A humble king. An old soldier it seems. One who is not fit for this field of battle. You are weak and need guidance."_

"I…" He spoke aloud, but then began to think his sentences to the heart. _"I am more than capable of handling this fight. I swear, I will win this fight. I may use you, but I will not fail. I have people to protect."_

 _"_ _Yes. I was told by the last one that he did as well. What do you wish to protect? You cannot protect everyone. You must have a side in this fight, or else this fight would not happen."_

 _"_ _I wish to protect my people from the evil of others."_ The king said with a smirk, thinking he had outsmarted the heart.

 _"_ _Are some of your citizens not evil? Do they not steal? Kill? Envy? Give your name as if it were a curse? You are the reason they are still alive right now! And they treat you as such? Surely you would not wish them protection, if you are to protect 'your people' from evil."_

 _"_ _The… my people are my people. I will discipline them as I see fit."_

 _"_ _Ah. In denial. I've heard of this even in my ancient state. You wish not your citizens to be so, but you know what they are and cannot accept it. They are dirty, filthy mongrels who would do anything to put themselves higher on the food chain. The only place that is not tainted would be that church you have. But even then, there is only a few in it that are pure. Corruption is a powerful thing. One must be pure of heart to wield me. You know this. Do you believe that you are pure?"_ The heart gave a faint laugh behind his sentence.

"I will show you pure of heart!" The king said suddenly, ripping the cage open and pressing the strange thing into his chest. Soon, the transformation began. His screams echoed through the land, alerting birds and animals of all kinds in the area. His entire army looked atop the hill to see a spire of blue light reaching almost fifty feet in the air. It radiated its light around, touching all of his army. They all felt the rage and anger from him, and the fear that he would fail his kingdom. The transformation of their once proud king began once the army as a whole gave their attention to him. The armor around his back melted into spikes that resembled a strange ribcage that extended to his front, where a divide was beginning to happen in his body, and his armor. Out of his back, his ribs protruded, giving him a beginning set of 'wings' of sorts. The bones in his arms shot out of his back, leaving his arms in front of him, held up by the power of the Heart. The same happened to his legs, and the bones constructed themselves to be a finishing touch to the bony wings on his back. His skin began to bubble and boil, causing him to look red and charred in places. Finally, the Heart began to levitate him, and speak through him.

"COWER MORTALS," The deep voice of the king amplified by the power of the heart rang out in the open air, "THIS IS THE TRUE POWER OF THE SKULLHEART!"

Soon, the army was leveled. The once composed king floated through his men, leeching the souls of them all and sapping their life from them as he passed. The strongest of them met an end by sword or a shot of pure blue energy from the gapping chest or mouth of the king. It took merely ten minutes to destroy the army of the Canopy Kingdom, and it was destroyed by the hand of the man who brought them to the land. The king's body, now wholly controlled by the Heart, began to sputter and writhe.

 _"_ _Dammit. Blast this man and his weak will and heart. I cannot survive on this alone. I must… remain dormant in him… until those filthy Gigans make their advance. He spoke of them. They must know that they are here. I will speak to them, and see who of them has the purest heart."_ The heart thought to itself as it remembered its true purpose. A pure heart can have its wish granted to the fullest, and will not be corrupted, but those with even a sliver of impurity to them, will be corrupted and changed to do the bidding of the heart. The body sunk down from the air, and sat itself next to a rock, and began to dwindle in its aura of blue. Soon, it was merely a bright blue flame in the night, awaiting the Gigans advance.

* * *

The greatest monster of the Gigans, a warrior standing at 20 ft. in height and weighing at almost a ton by the name of Odin, sat inside his tent with the small visitor that had overstayed her welcome by roughly two months and over ten days of travel to the border. The tiny woman was brown skinned with long black hair. To be fair, she was lovely, even to Odin, whose wife Freyr was the highest beauty of the Gigan Nation. She had a figure of an hourglass and bright blue eyes that looked like the deep spring pools of the Wyrmwoods of Odin's homeland. Her lips were full, red, and sinfully plump. Her legs were long and bronze to the point of perfection, not a blemish in sight. Odin shook the thoughts that came as she stretched and laid herself out on the pillows she brought with her; her white nearly see through silken dress covered her minimally.

"What is it you want Merchant? You've sold us wares we required. You are trying my patience and you have overstayed the extent of my hospitality," Odin spoke in his most delicate of voices, displaying his anger quietly.

The woman turned swiftly, and raised a hand to her mouth, yawning. "I am waiting out the war you are about to commence. I want to stay on the winning side when everything begins and finishes. Would you not?" The woman said bluntly.

"Of course I would stay on the winning side. My side is the winning side," He said with a small scoff of laughter. The difference in the two beings in the hut was drastic. Odin was a red skinned, tri-horned, black eyed demon of a Gigan. He had been educated when the Gigans were still accepted into the Canopy Kingdom, and had taken the knowledge to heart. He had a diplomatic, calculating mind for a Gigan, as well as a mind for battle. The Merchant on the other hand seemed almost like royalty with how she carried herself. A demon and a queen sat in the huge hut and continued their talk.

"What would you benefit from staying with us? Do you have anything else to give us? Any information on those Canopy Kingdom humans? If not, which I believe you don't, I ask you to leave. We will not pursue you and we will not tell the Canopy Kingdom you were here as a show of gratitude for the wares you have sold us."

"I have some information that you would benefit from greatly, but, I must ask for something in return. I'll give you a tidbit of info to tide you over until you come to a decision. Of course, my safety here is also a part of the deal." She said with a sadistic grin.

There is not much Odin could do. If she had valuable information, then he had to comply. He cannot squeeze information out of her like he could one of his soldiers. "Tell me your information merchant."

"Eliza. Eliza will work for a name. Merchant makes me sound so… poor." She replied.

"Eliza. Please. Share with me your information on the humans in the Canopy Kingdom."

"They have obtained something that could decimate your Gigan Nation in one fell swoop if used correctly. Nothing, not even you, Odin, the Great King of Gigans, can stop the power of this item."

This angered Odin. Nothing had stopped him in battle, which is how he became king. He beat the previous king as well as the entire tribe that was ruling before him. "Inconceivable! How is such a weapon possible?! I am…" He said, calming down in the middle of the sentence. "I have never been defeated, by any weapon, human, Gigan, or Chessman. Not even the Dragons can halt my charge. What do you mean that they have found something to defeat me?"

"Ah ah!" She says, waving her finger back and forth, "Now, you must return the favor, Oh Mighty Odin. I have a question that has been on my mind since I have come into your traveling band of ruffian-soldiers."

"You… You may ask it."

"Why did the king throw you all out? You all seem like such a… welcoming folk," She giggles to end the sentence.

"The king, in his all-knowing, decided to abandon us to this land due to our temper, our physique, and our disputes with their laws."

"So needless to say you killed, raped, and stole as much as you could while you all were citizens and tried to assume power on your own, so you were all exiled. It makes perfect sense." She said bluntly with a wry smile.

The sound in the tent of Odin had been minimal for the past few hours as the two talked, but now, roaring of anger and rage rang out as the earth began to shake underneath the entire band. Odin stood with a roar, lifting his fist and rearing back as quickly as he could. Eliza never flinched, and only lifted her hand to stop the blow. Somehow, the small woman held off the immense power of the Gigan while still lying on her side. The Gigan struggled to push through her defense, but was met with more strength than he could imagine. The golden glow of the woman's eyes seeped into black, as her face began to fall off, to reveal something hideous and strange. The skeleton of the woman stared back at Odin with a fiendish grin, as it took the force of his blow and left the skin of the woman behind. Speechless, he pressed harder against the abomination of a creature before him. Soon, he was thrown back, the skeleton of the woman walking closer to him, in a somehow sensual manner.

In a hissing, and deceptively wicked voice, the creature talked as it made its way across Odin's body, pushing him over to get closer to his face. "Now Odin, you wouldn't hit a guest now would you? That wouldn't be too smart, now would it? I'm only trying to protect myself from this war, if I can anyway. All I need is you're protection. If you will not comply, I guess I'll just have to go somewhere else. Oh darn! That look on your face means something must have happened to me. Well, I'm afraid I can't let you tell anyone else about this. If you keep me with you though, I'm sure we can come to some kind of compromise. What do you say, partner? Will you protect me in this scary war?" Each sentence, the creature moved closer and closer to his face, the alluring eyes entrancing him, while the skeletal body kept him in reality. _This creature…_ He thought to himself, _Must not make it out of here alive._ With a loud roar, he shot up; grabbing a large sword, and slashed at the creature he had sent flying back to her bag of flesh. He cut across its spine, dealing what sounded like a significant blow, only to find it standing unscathed moments later.

"What are you!? A demon?" He yelled in his fury before readying another onslaught of attacks.

The skin moved up the skeletal form, snapping back together as if it had never left and going back to the woman who had been lying down not long ago. "I am no demon. I told you my name, and that is my name. The 'demon' you saw, was Sekmet, a parasite that will be the calamity to destroy this world and help me rule it with my iron fist. If you comply now, I shall stay with you and you will all be unharmed and have a grand position in my new world order. I will not tolerate another attack Odin. Think wisely while you can."

 _Fear_. Thought Odin. _This is what fear is like. I… I am terrified of this woman. I… I must stop her. At all cost._

In the blink of an eye, Odin raised his sword high, and heaved it down with the force of a true Gigan warrior. With a single hand, Eliza stopped the sword, its edge hardly even cutting her flesh. She moved the sword to the side, letting the weight of it hit the ground with the weight of Odin's might. She moved swiftly to his hands clutching his sword with all his strength, and proceeded to cut through them with her nails. The pain was excruciating, and the sound that came from Odin's throat sent the camp of his warriors into a howling rage. Soon, Gigans swarmed the tent, to find a woman, bathed in the deep red of their chief's blood, with a deep and devilish smile on her face. The Gigans did their best, but they could not stop the power of Eliza.

The next morning, the tent of the chief, and of the surrounding area, were littered with bodies torn asunder. Innards and heads were amassed in piles around the camp with small pools of blood standing around, looking like a fresh rainfall had happened just moments ago.

Eliza stepped out of Odin's tent, her white gown now red with blood. She licked her lips and stretched as she surveyed the bodies she had destroyed and the lives she had taken. "My my. We went a bit overboard, didn't we Sekmet? No matter. Onward to that place those idiots were talking about. Meridian. It must be filled with humans and the like. Hmmmmm." She shivered. "I haven't tasted human blood in so long." With that, she made her trek to the border of the nations, which was only a few miles away. Upon reaching the border, and seeing the onslaught left in someone's wake, Eliza stepped cautiously through the remnants of the battlefield, as silently as she could. Suddenly, something spoke to her.

 _"_ _A parasite? In this land? Surely you all must have died off with my time! I am sure I destroyed you!"_ The voice said in Eliza's mind.

"Oh goody! I was wondering when we would find you!" She said cheerfully as she moved to the blue aura of a small stone like object. She grabbed it quickly, and stared at it. "Hello Skullheart. I have been looking for you."

"Sekmet… You… you are still alive," The heart said, somehow, displaying shock.

"It is indeed. I am its host at the moment. Eliza. Sekmet has told me much of you. And now, I believe we will use you for our own devices, if you have no protests to make." She said, squeezing the heart with her hand.

"What do you intend to do?! Surely you cannot think to use me! I will drive you mad! You're wish will never be granted!"

"I will have my wish granted, but not through you. I will give you back to those humans, and I will feast upon them. It has been quite a while since I have tasted human blood, and I do miss it. Come Skullheart, we are taking a small trip." She deposited the heart in the small bag she had brought with her, and began walking back to the city of Meridian, to visit the now lone Queen of the Kingdom.

* * *

A knock at the door was heard not two days after her husband's departure. Joy washed over Queen Lamia before she turned to see her servant enter. With a heavy heart, awaiting the terrifying news that might be coming, the Queen held her head high and smiled. "Yes? What is it?" She said in her most gentle tone.

"My Queen, you… have a guest. She says she has some information, as well as an item to give you. And she said she wants to… make a deal with you." The servant said, looking flushed.

"I will be out momentarily. Could you look after the girls while I am gone?"

"I have already sent them with Sister Anna, they are at the Cathedral with her. I had a fear that something would happen and sent them there. I hope that is alright Your Highness."

"That is more than alright. Thank you for protecting my children. I will come quickly. Give me a moment." With that, the servant left. The Queen stood, checked herself in the mirror close to the exit of her room, and stepped out to see a woman dressed in an opaque white silken dress with long black hair and stunningly bright blue eyes. "An Honor Queen Lamia. I am Eliza. I come from the Gigan Lands. I am a merchant of sorts. I seek no profit in the war, but shelter from it, and hope to sell you things you desire. I also have information from the frontlines; about the Gigans, and about your husband." She said with a smile.

"I trust you are not here to tell us that the Gigans are advancing?" She said, awaiting the worst.

"Fear not Miss Queen. You're citizens are safe for the time being. I urge you to focus on me at the present however. Right now, I mean much more to you than those citizens." Her eyes narrowed.

The room they were in seemed to light up with a strange breeze. Lamia felt cold, and shivered at it. The stare of the foreign woman felt somehow… familiar; as if she had seen it somewhere before. Ages past, maybe in a different lifetime even, this stare had met her, and the stare was the same; evil, and calculating. The woman had made her way forward, brushing her hands along the furniture in the room, and planting herself in a chair, crossing her leg and awaiting the Queen to do the same. "Have a seat Oh Queen. This will not be long, but I urge you to sit. The information might jar you."

"What of my husband? Is everything alright? How did you get through the Gigan's Army without a scratch? They are ruthless!" She said, holding herself somewhat.

"I am a merchant madam. I sold wares to pass through unscathed. What I came upon once entering your land however, was distressing…. To say the least…" Eliza trailed off.

Lamia looked the woman over fully, taking in everything about her. She was foreign to say the least, and must have been the merchant that her husband had talked of not long ago. Her skin was a beauty to behold, and her eyes were deep pools of icy blue that seemed to glow. Lamia felt as if she were in the presence of something that she should not be, but hesitantly, she took her seat and sat in silence for a moment.

"Please tell me. I must know of my husband!" The Queen said urgently. "I must know he is alright!"

"First madam. I want to ask you something. You must give me information if I am to give you anything," The smile came again. The same cool and devilish smile she had on when she came in.

"Ask it Merchant. I shall answer as best I can."

"What do you treasure most Oh Great Queen? Is it your subjects? You're husband? Or perhaps these daughters I have heard about? At the cathedral? Their names are… Venus and Aeon correct? Hmmm… Taking the Trinity in vain with those names aren't you my queen?"

"My family and my people are the most important thing to me Merchant. Now, tell me how you know so much and tell me what has happened to my husband!?" The queen finally snapped in anger. She had never felt this emotion, but she soon felt tears welling behind her eyes as she already knew the answer.

Eliza cleared her throat. "Your husband is dead. He tempted the Skullheart, and waged a battle with it that he could never win. His heart, overcome by his own ideals, succumbed to power, and killed the entire Meridian Army." She says as she holds up the bag containing the heart. "This is the contraption that killed your husband, and the army. I give it to you, as a token of my apology." She tosses it down to the Queen, letting it skid across the floor before turning to exit.

"Apology? Why do you need to apologize?" The Queen said, tears streaming down her face.

As the woman reached the doors, and opened them to the Foyer of the mansion, bodies upon bodies lay strewn about, blood smattered the walls, and much of it looked as if it had been deliberately moved around to accommodate something. "For this feast I had. I hope you can forgive me," The woman said again, with the same evil smile, "I must go partake in your citizens. I have another feast to attend! Do not interfere, Oh Queen, and you will be safe for now. I suggest you run, and take your children with you. I cannot insure their safety once my appetite is running amok." The same smile kept across her face as she let out a devilish laugh and made her way down the stairs to the city below.

Lamia sat in a small puddle of her own tears, crying for her husband, crying for the safety of her daughters, her friends, and her citizens. The skullheart rested beside her in its bag, emitting the same pale blue light from when it had been picked up by the merchant woman.


	3. Chapter 3 (Final)

Eliza took a small meaty leg of one of the many bodies she had laid waste to in the foyer of the Queen's home, and began sucking the blood out of it as she made her way down the steps to the city proper. The small Gigan force that had accompanied her to the city had made the city their playground. The dead lay in the streets and fountains of the city as more and more Meridians ran through the carnage to escape the Gigan onslaught. No one was safe from them. Buildings lay burning and toppled and the small militia that stayed behind to protect the city was in disarray against the huge Gigans. The citizens called for orders, from their royalty, from their gods, from their cathedral, but no one answered.

"Shame, this was such a pleasant city to look at. And the men here," She shivered a little, "Tasted so nice. Well, easy come easy go I suppose."

She made her way through the city, finding nothing but terrible tasting samples as she walked. The men were either too old to have the right flavor, or too young to really come into it and the women all tasted the same, bland, boring, and altogether uninteresting. She thought that this would be a feast for the ages for her, but so far, she had found hardly anything appetizing. She took to her senses to find the best morsel of blood in the city, and as well as she could guess, the place that smelled the best was none other than the Cathedral. She made her way there with a small skip in her step, but was stopped by a Gigan, of all creatures.

"Sir, you must not go there," It told her, its name escaping her.

"I have every right to go there you animal. That is where the feast I wanted is. You will not stop me." She replied, pointing her staff at the large creature.

"This is the Cathedral of the Trinity sir. It is something that even we Gigans fear. We have all be taught by our commander—," He was cut off by Eliza.

"Who is dead and was replaced by me. If you won't, then I will destroy those inside and feast on them. Wreak havoc on this city, but leave this church to me."

With that, the Gigan fell back, allowing her to pass. Once she made it past the gate, he let out a mighty roar. "Brothers and Sisters of the Gigan! We are to fall back and regroup! The Commander is heading into the Cathedral of The Trinity!"

With that, the gigans headed back to their land. The truth is as he said. The Gigan army was told all of the human society and their religion of the Trinity. The Gigan, led by Odin, learned of the deities of the Trinity, and taught it to his troops as well. They were a force to be feared by all manners of the word. Gigans fear nothing, except The Trinity. In the battle plans for Odin, the church was to remain untouched, and the grounds of the church, noted by its gate, and then one hundred yards out from there, would be sacred ground, to be untouched by the Gigans. Setting foot there would spell their doom for ages to come. With this mindset, the Gigans feared all that were related to the Trinity, and knew what to do in their attack, but, with Neferu—Eliza—crossing the gate and making her way to the church grounds, their attack was all for naught. The Gigans fled and made their way back to their lands, to hope that somehow, they would be spared in the calamity that might come forth from the church's might.

* * *

Lamia sat on the floor, her head in her hands, crying loud for the ones lost in her home, the ones lost on the battlefield, and those that she may be losing at that very moment. Her cries felt as if a mother of millions had cared for each and every one of them, seeing each one as not just a number or a person to fill a role, but a being that meant something to the others there, that meant something to the city, and someone that meant something to her. The city was a part of her, and her citizens were her children. She had let them die swiftly, but that might have been their only respite. Her husband lay broken and slain by his hunger for power on the field, and here she lay broken but living in her home, awaiting whatever judgment that might fall to her. In her silent cries, something spoke to her. Something she felt as if she had heard before.

"Queen Lamia. I was brought here to tell you of your husband's death, as a token of his defeat," The voice spoke to her, radiated from the pale blue light in the bag that contained the Skullheart.

"I know. You have done your duty. I don't blame you for what my husband did." She said through her sobs. "You may have brought up my husband's true intentions, but he himself lost himself in the power you gave him. You are not at fault."

"You are far more than what you seem Oh Queen. I will tell you this. I am an ancient weapon, as you know, and have been around for far longer than nearly any creature on this planet. I have watched nations rise and fall, and watched my power change hands many times. My time ended long ago and came back with my discovery by your kingdom. I wish no harm on anyone, except those that wrong me. That creature that brought me to you, that woman who is more akin to a demon than that of a human, must be stopped at all cost."

"What will you have me do?" The queen asked, her tears now halting their advance.

"Hold me close, and let me into your mind. Let me see your true intentions. I know that those pure of heart will never become someone corrupt by my power, and those with intentions of positive favor, love, protection, and the need to protect what is truly in need of protection, will only flourish and destroy those that stand against them. I will make you more than what your husband was. I will make you a being truly to be reckoned with. Someone who can judge those that do wrong, and those that wrong you. You are someone that does not come around for millennia, let alone in a planet's lifetime. We will at the very least halt this person from taking what is left of this kingdom, and protect those that are still living under your rule."

The queen lifted the heart up, and placed it close to her chest, and she simply began to breathe slowly, thinking of her daughters, her citizens, and how she could possible stop this threat from hurting anyone else.

The heart began its process. It searched her body, looking for anything that could stain her reputation, anything to taint her soul even an ounce. It could not reject something it was programmed to do since its creation. Just as it had said prior however, it could find nothing. The Queen had done nothing foul her entire life. It was astounded. Her entire life, she always did what was right. By herself, by her religion, by her moral code, even by the greater powers that controlled the Skullheart, The Trinity itself.

Satisfied, the Skullheart began her transformation. Unlike her husband's skeletal morphing and change in physiology, Lamia's transformation did not change her physically. Instead, the Skullheart took hold of her purity, and made that into its own weapon. Radiant light shone from her body. The robes that were stained with tears now became a brilliant white and seemed to flow with their own wind around her. Her gown of white and blue displayed her figure in shadow as the light shown around her, a soft flaming radiance shining all around her. She felt powerful, but in a way that no physical body could hold. She felt as if she were far more than a mortal being, and could feel the entirety of the world, The Trinity, and even the plants and animals were feeding her strength. She outstretched her hands once the heart was finished, and felt it beating across from her other heart, their rhythms intertwining.

"Now is the time Your Majesty. Go forth, and we shall stop this demon from destroying your people." The Skullheart told her.

Lamia stood up, letting the full power of the heart flow over her. Her eyes opened, and saw much more than what she could before. The life force of the dead, the ghosts of long ago, and the cries of those that were still living filled her mind and sight, and she began her journey. Through the halls of her abode, she made her way around the foyer, to the dead and destroyed bodies that still held life for their queen. She did the impossible with every touch of her hand. She constructed them to what they once were. The Heavens Guard of ten men and women stood five to each side of her, as the Maids of Honor followed close behind, their numbers close to thirty.

Outside, at the steps to her home, more dead rose as she touched their bodies. Made whole once more, she instructed them to help those in need, and report back to the Cathedral, once they had done all they could. The Maids of Honor, the Royal Guard, and now these that were recently raised made their way around the town, helping those in need. Stabilizing those dying, mending wounds, purifying water tainted with blood and even moving buildings for those trapped by the onslaught. The Queen herself made her slow walk to the Cathedral, and got to the threshold of the gates. She breathed deeply, and lifted her hand. The gate opened slowly to the Cathedral, where the demon of a woman who brought this slaughter to her city awaited.

* * *

The place had an aisle of candles lit, with a red and gold laced carpet down it. the place had a slight decline that lead to a stage, with a large altar and a set of statues standing high in front of a beautiful stained glass window. Eliza strode down the aisle, trusting her senses to guide her. A nun of the Trinity came to her, her hands folded together so the points of her fingers touched and mirrored one another. "Madam, thank goodness you are safe. Do you need any medical attention? We already have a wing set up for those hit by the Gigan attacks."

"Oh thank you! I'm in some need of attention! Just look at my dress!" She said, the white gown still covered in blood, old and new. "I've been so scared since those attacks happened!"

"I understand miss. Please, follow me." The nun said, unknowingly leading the lion right to where its prey would be.

Moments later, they were in a side chamber of the Cathedral, housing beds and pews of people that were dying or wounded. Doctors, nurses, and nuns ran from patient to patient, tending to everything they needed. Eliza let the smell of blood of all kinds into her nostrils. The nuns were the tastiest, or at least they smelled that way. Their untainted blood smelt like the most divine thing Eliza could think of. The nurses were next, and then the doctors, and the patients seemed much more like an appetizer of sorts, due to their weakened state and terrible quality of blood.

Eliza was close to breaking her cover and simply letting loose and devouring them all. "What is it you need help with ma'am?" The nurse came running as she spoke.

Eliza grabbed at her throat and lifted her up once she was close. "I need you…. To give me what's inside you." She lifted her other hand and rammed it through her stomach, letting the blood flow over her hand and down her arm. The nun besides her let out a wail, as the wing of the Cathedral burst into screams of fright and terror.

* * *

The girls huddled around their protector for the moment, Sister Anna, and asked question after question as the fighting continued outside.

"What's going to happen to us? Are we going to be alright? Is mom alright? Is everyone going to be okay?" The questions would be answered, but they would come back up again with each scream and roar outside.

"Girls, it is all I can do here to keep you safe and protected. The church will keep you safe, as will I, and your mother is doing all she can to make sure everyone is safe. Do not worry. Stay calm, and pray. That is almost all we can do now." Sister Anna said with some force in her voice. She moved over to another part of the room that held a fire place, a small chair next to it, and a couch across from it. The look was very homey and quite comfortable looking, even in the discord and fright of the fighting outside. She sat herself down in the chair, and motioned for the girls to come over, either near her or on the couch.

"Tell me girls, why do you think this is happening to us?" She asked, in as cheery a voice as she could.

"Well," Venus said, adjusting her glasses, "I bet its cause all that stuff happened to dad. Those Gigan people had a free way into here."

"That might be it. But wouldn't you think that the Gigans would have brought more people to fight us? When we made our way over here, I saw them come over the hill, and I could count them all, and they were easily less than thirty. Where were the rest?"

"That lady," Aeon said, her eyes still closed, "She did it. She's not like us, or them. She had to have done something to them."

"Exactly Aeon. Good job." Anna smiled at her, "Venus was partially right as well, so I'll give her that," She smiled her way as well. "That lady is nothing but trouble it seems. So if you see her, run as fast as you can or hide somewhere. She shouldn't be able to find you if you hide well enough."

"Why are you telling us this Anna? Aren't we gonna be safe?" Venus said, sitting up from her position on the couch.

"I'm afraid that she may come for us soon. We'll need to head back to your home. That may be the only safe place left. It seems she has made it into the Cathedral."

"What should we do Anna?" Aeon asked, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Just as Sister Anna was about to speak, a knock came at the door. Silence followed for what felt like an eternity, then, a voice came. It was soft, and menacing all at the same time. "May I come in?" The unfamiliar voice called.

"Hide girls. Stay safe." Anna whispered, as she stood up. "I'm coming. Give me a moment."

"Oh dear, I do not have a moment Sister. You must let me in, I am in danger!" The voice said, a slight chuckle coming at the end.

Anna did not wish to do this, but she must. Her mind told her to distrust this thing beyond the door, to take the girls, and run to the home of the queen. But her heart felt as if she could be more of a defense here, rather than running and hiding with the girls and hoping their mother could do something to stop this monster.

As Anna opened the door, she was eye to eye to the one she was fated to die from. She looked like a demon, covered in blood, with black eyes surrounded by a yellow iris. Her skin, dark brown and stained with blood, looked as someone in their mid-twenties, and her voice was that of a singer who knew no rival. She was beautiful, and felt as if she had everything she could ask of the world, and she had gotten it. Now all she needed was her head, and the girls Anna was protecting.

Anna was sure to keep them safe, at all costs.

* * *

The Cathedral smelled of blood and death. It felt terrifying and deadly. "Guards," Lamia said, as she made her way down the aisle, "Go to the wings and help those in need, I am going to see my daughters and Anna to make sure they are safe."

"We must act swiftly Your Majesty, I fear we are cutting it rather close," The skullheart said to her.

She went as quickly as she could, rushing her steps up to a room that was secretly tucked away in a hallway to nowhere. Up a set of stairs, she could see it, steps and steps of bloody footprints, making their way to the door. And inside, she could hear slashing, and cutting of flesh and the breaking of bones. Once she arrived, the sight was something ungodly. There stood the demon, her hand raised above and behind her, her bones sticking out of her hand, looking more like claws, ready to strike. And in front of her, stood Anna, her hands outstretched, and her legs planted firm, a mess of torn flesh, broken bones held together on will alone, and blood dripping to the floor like a leaky faucet. She had little left, and Anna could see that. "Sister, you may rest. You have done well to protect the girls this far."

The broken body of her friend, her mirror in resolve, faith, and kindness, slumped to the floor, tears in her eyes, and spoke quietly. "You're children, are safe, my friend."

"You're fight is with me Eliza. Thanks to this new heart, I know your name, your intentions, and that parasite you hold inside you is nothing but evil. You will be turned away from here if it is the last thing I do." Lamia spoke, as she made her way forward to the creature before her.

Eliza drew her hand downward to her side, and merely turned her head. "My my, if I knew this would have made her stop getting in my way, I would have just waited. You're little morsels are mine."

With the swiftness that the queen had only heard of on the battlefield, the woman leapt forward, digging her claws into both of the girls as their screams of terror grew into those of pain and looming death. The act was swift, and the two girls were torn apart quickly and swiftly, their blood filling the wooden floors of the room in the Cathedral. Eliza licked her hands as she turned to view the mother with her full gaze. "Now, you wish to kill me do you not? Do your worst. The Skullheart has tried to kill me once, and failed. What makes you think you can destroy me and my parasite?" She spoke with some laughter nearing on hysterics.

Lamia looked at the broken bodies of her children and her friend, and met the gaze of Eliza with a stare of an angry god on one of its subjects. "You will feel the wrath of a mother who has lost everything, a woman who has watched her people die for no reason, and the power of the one who will see you never do this again, as long as I am in this land," She said as she neared closer and closer to Eliza.

She raised a hand, and Eliza went to block it with hers, but was met with a force that was unlike anything she had foreseen or experienced. A Gigan in the bloodbath with Odin had caught her by surprise and sent her flying with a force she could not imagine. This slap, this force from her adversary now, was nearly ten times of that. She was sent into the wall of brick and stone, her impact causing it to crack and give. Lamia moved forward, and continued her assault. She raised her hand once more, and Eliza again tried to block it. This time, the force came from below, as if a knee went right into her stomach. The force sent her nearly through the roof. She fell back down, and was met with another indescribably large force in her chest. It felt like it would tear her in two. She coughed several times, blood pouring out of her mouth. "My… You are strong. I… I underestimated you. I thought you would be much like your husband with that heart." She said through spits of blood.

"I have been through so much because of you. I can't even begin to tell you how much I want to kill you." Lamia said, picking up Eliza by the throat. "But I will spare you. You will not be doing this again. I can assure you of that. You will be closed off from the world, and be stuck to wallow in your sins. Are you prepared?"

Eliza laughed slightly, "How would you do that? Burry me somewhere?"

"Precisely."

The climate felt like it changed rapidly, and suddenly, Eliza felt an all too familiar feeling of heat bearing down on her. The sands, her homeland, lay all around her, but still, she was in the clutches of a being whose power was too immense for her to comprehend. Slowly, the sands seemed to move below them, allowing them to sink, deeper and deeper into the earth. The sand gave way to dirt and solid mud, and then to rock. Here, a cavern was expanded, and Eliza was let go here. "This will be your new home," Lamia stated, "Think on your transgressions against me, against the city of Meridian, and the world that I will protect. You shall not do this again while I am here." And with that, Eliza would be left there, until years later, when a more advanced society would unearth her tomb, and pay a price unknown in millennia.

* * *

Once her adversary was put down into the earth, Lamia came back to the Cathedral, to see her girls and her broken friend. Their bodies were far from recoverable. It was as if Eliza had taken pleasure in destroying the very essence of what they were. Lamia picked up her girls in her arms, and began to cry. The tears rolled over what was left of their bodies.

Deep inside her, the Skullheart spoke once more. "I must keep my part of this bargain. A wish is granted by those who take me on. And you never truly had a wish but to protect. I will fulfill this wish to the utmost," It said.

Soon, she felt her body give way, and her spirit, along with those of her daughters, and the skullheart moved upwards, flying above their body. "You will become that which you worshipped. That moral code and the Trinity you will become. That is what I can do."

"What will happen to Anna? She was protecting my family as best she could. What of her fate?"

The skullheart stopped. "I could make her a part of the church as well. A protector of the Trinity, and myself, and she could help me find a more suitable host. That way, perhaps we could find someone that could have as pure a heart as you to right the wrongs of others."

Lamia agreed without hesitation, and spoke one last time as she ascended to the heavens. "Have faith Anna, I know you will protect the Trinity and us well. Please continue to protect us. Please."

* * *

Strange forces whirled around the body of the broken nun, as the other bodies that lay around her began to meld into one. A breath of life was given back to her, and her spirit was alive once more. The Skullheart descended as well, and spoke to her. "Anna. I am sorry to say this, but you are now in my care, just as I am in yours. You are to protect me, and the Church of the Trinity. I will grant you power to do so as well. The Queen has said you have done well and you are someone to be trusted. Will you do this for her?"

It took Anna little more than a second to comply. "If the queen has asked, so it shall be done."

This was the start of Anna's walk down the path of the protector of the Skullheart, the protector of the Trinity, and the ever changing visage known as Double. Their journey would start out simply, but over time, as the hosts grew darker and more impure, their ideals came to change. While the Trinity stayed the same, and Anna never lost sight of what she truly wished to protect, the Skullheart changed drastically.

* * *

In New Meridian, there is a tale that in times of trouble, when people need guidance most, a beautiful woman of the cloth will be praying in the church, either when they arrive, or will simply appear near them. She will listen to their woes and help them through their troubles. She always looks the same as well. A beautiful maiden in blue, with red eyes that feel more inviting than any other, and a smile that shows only kindness, and hair that is a color of the summer sun. This is Anna, the true form of Double, doing what she does best; Protecting people of the faith and comforting those in need.

* * *

I hope this was enjoyable. Thank you for reading.


End file.
